


The melted ice around the heart

by Abeehiltz



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Don't copy to another site, F/F, Overworking, Sappy, Slow Romance, Useless Lesbians, flirting without noticing, sibling angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-02-27 06:12:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18733216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abeehiltz/pseuds/Abeehiltz
Summary: Everyone in Afterglow looks really close and best friend, but sometimes Tsugumi feels apart from each other. But she feels very close to Hikawa Sayo, the guitarist of Roselia. Their relationship is always evolving since the baking lesson. How far will it evolve?





	1. Tsugumi did it again...

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone~ another bandori fanfic, but this time it won't be a one-shot. SayoTsugu is one of my best ship so far, and I really wanted to write about my two favourite girls. I'm still struggling to understand everything about Sayo and Tsugumi, but I hope it will be realistic enough and close to their original behaviour~

“You’re not coming Tsugu?”  
  
Ran was calling Tsugumi, who was still in front of her keyboard. They trained with Roselia today, but with Ran and Yukina fighting together most of the time, they didn’t really do anything. And Tsugumi felt that she needed to train more. Her friends were still far ahead of her, and she didn’t want to be a dead weight for the band. She glanced at Sayo who didn’t seem to move out of the room at all. The girl was looking at her music sheets while drinking water. She seemed very serious about music, like nothing could break her concentration, and it made Tsugumi more determined to rehearse.  
  
“I… I think I will stay to train a little more… Don’t wait for me Ran-chan”  
  
“Hmm… Okay, but don’t overwork yourself Tsugu” She answered, looking a bit concerned, but Tsugumi replied with a bright smile.  
  
“It’s okay, I won’t stay long! And I’m not alone…” Tsugumi stated while looking at Sayo a little, and finally Ran smiled and walked out of the room.  
  
“Then see you tomorrow.” Ran said before she disappeared of the room.   
  
All the other girls were already outside, leaving only Sayo and Tsugumi together. It suddenly felt a little awkward for Tsugumi to be alone with the green-eyed girl. She was a little worried she would break Sayo’s concentration while training in the same room. She shifted on her feet and looked away.   
  
“Should I go somewhere else…?”  
  
Sayo stopped looking at her sheets and stared at Tsugumi when the girl talked to her. Her face was still serious, but her trait softened.   
  
“No it’s okay Hazawa-san, I will unplug my guitar and train without the amp.”  
  
“B-But it won’t be the same… I don’t want you to push yourself for me…” Tsugumi answered, a little flustered that Sayo was doing all of this for her. She really didn’t want to bother the girl. “You can keep your amp, I will play with my headphones…”  
  
“I still won’t play with my amp, we won’t bother each other like that.” After talking, Sayo unplugged her guitar and turned the amp off. She decided to rehearse while sitting on a chair this time. Standing all the time was a little tiring and when she was alone, she felt more comfortable sitting to train. Meanwhile, Tsugumi took headphones from her bag and plugged them on the keyboard. The sound wasn’t the best like this, but she could still rehearse without bothering Sayo. The two girls started playing in their sides without bothering the other one. Sayo was really concentrated on her fingers, sometimes frowning when she failed to play a part, but she didn’t give up. Tsugumi felt really close to Sayo, especially since the baking lesson. She was really hardworking like her, and she was really passionate about music. Tsugumi was really happy she could be friend with Sayo. She felt a little lonely sometimes in her band. Ran and Moca were always together, and the same with Himari and Tomoe. She felt like she was a dead weight, and that’s why she also did her best with the keyboard. She didn’t want to be left behind everyone.   
  
Half an hour later, Sayo finally stopped playing. She was starting to be a little tired and knew it was the time to stop. She was really into music, but she knew about her limits so she didn’t push herself too hard. She drank water from her bottle and then sighed heavily while stretching her arms. She started to talk and broke the silence although she wasn’t staring at Tsugumi.  
  
“Hazawa-san, do you want to drink something at a cafe before calling it a day?”  
  
But she didn’t receive an answer. She couldn’t hear anything from the keyboard or Tsugumi. After she put her guitar in her case, she then looked behind her. Tsugumi was standing behind the keyboard, but something was wrong.  
  
“Hazawa-san?”  
  
Tsugumi looked at Sayo and smiled at her. She felt weird and suddenly weak. Yet she didn’t want to show that to the girl, so she did her best to keep her smile.   
  
“Y-Yes I’d love to…”  
  
But she couldn’t finish her sentence, the world started to spin in her head. Her sight became abruptly dark, and Sayo’s voice only resonated in the room, not in her head.  
  
“Hazawa-san?!”  
  
Tsugumi suddenly fell on the ground, collapsing as her mind faded away when she hit her head on the ground.  
  
  
Sayo was really shocked and started to panic. It was the first time she saw someone collapsing in front of her. But she tried to keep her calm and breathed heavily. She checked on Tsugumi’s body her breath and suddenly opened the door of the studio, thinking fresh air would be better than the hot air in the room. At the same time she took her phone to call an ambulance. After the call, she told Marina about Tsugumi, and they both took care of the girl before the ambulance arrived. Sayo decided to follow the unconscious girl in the ambulance after she took her own stuff as well as Tsugumi’s stuff. She really was worried about her friend. She didn’t know the girl was working that hard… It seemed that she didn’t know her limits… And Sayo felt a little guilty she didn’t notice this sooner. She could have stopped the girl before she collapsed, but she didn’t… As she was seating in the ambulance, she gently held Tsugumi’s hand, she wanted to do something for the girl but she really didn’t know what.  
  
“Be safe Hazawa-san…

* * *

‘My body feels heavy…’  
  
Tsugumi was slowly waking up. She didn’t know what happened. Her body was heavy, and she had trouble to just open her eyes. It was as if she ran a whole marathon without stretching. She took her time to open her eyes, only half-opening them because of the aggressive light coming from the window. The first thing she noticed was the different ceiling she was used to. She seemed not to be at her house. Her body was slowly feeling better while she was looking around. She was in a hospital room. And surprisingly, Sayo was here next to her. She couldn’t remember why the woman was with her. But the girl seemed to be sleeping, so she didn’t try to ask for now. Since she had nothing to do, Tsugumi just stared at the girl the whole time. Her face seemed really soft when she was sleeping, no trace of serious, and she didn’t seem cold at all. It made the brown-haired girl feel a little better having someone by her side, especially a friend like Sayo. She was about to sit up straight in her bed, when she suddenly noticed something else. Something that made her flush. Sayo was holding her hand. The girl started to panic a little and suddenly pulled her hand away while looking away, trying not to blush too much. She then sat up straight on the bed and shook Sayo’s shoulder gently to wake her up.  
  
“S-Sayo-san… You shouldn’t sleep on a chair…”  
  
Sayo’s eyelids fluttered open slowly. She didn’t have a lot of struggles to wake up, but she looked around and yawned before she finally looked at Tsugumi. When she saw the girl awake, she stood up of her chair from surprise and leaned to stare at the girl.  
  
“Hazawa-san are you alright?!”  
  
Tsugumi didn’t really understand why Sayo was behaving like this, it was really unusual and she just smiled a little while chuckling to answer her.  
  
“Yes of course I am? Why?”  
  
Sayo sighed from relief when she heard the answer, and pressed the button to call a nurse. She regained her composure and sat on the chair again, crossing her arms.  
  
“You collapsed in the studio yesterday. I had to call an ambulance.”  
  
Tsugumi opened her eyes a little wider after what Sayo said, and she forced a little chuckle, though she was feeling guilty she frightened her friends again. It was already the second time she collapsed in front of people and she was feeling really bad to put pressure on her friends’ shoulders.  
  
“I’m sorry Sayo-san… I must have worried you…”  
  
Sayo sighed a little again, but she didn’t seem angry, just concerned about Tsugumi’s condition.  
  
“Of course I was worried. The doctor said you overworked yourself. You should be careful about your health Hazawa-san.”  
  
“Yes… you’re right… haha…”  
  
Tsugumi was looking down, still feeling guilty about what happened and she was gripping the bedsheets hard. She bothered the girl she really didn’t want to bother. She wanted to be happy that Sayo was worried about her, but she couldn’t…  
  
She was snapped out of her bad thoughts by Sayo. The girl cleared her throat as she was staring at Tsugumi.  
  
“Don’t feel bad about it. It happens to everyone. Just be careful next time Hazawa-san.”  
  
“Y-Yes… I will… You’re kind Sayo-san…”  
  
Tsugumi finally smiled. It was true that thinking about what happened wasn’t the best thing. She would be better focusing on the future and not do it again. Her smile also made Sayo soften a little. Her lips moved a bit, but Tsugumi didn’t know if it was really a smile… maybe it was.  
  
Suddenly, the door of the room opened. A nurse entered the room, and explained everything to the two girls. Tsugumi wasn’t in a bad state, but they wanted to make sure everything was good, so she would have to sleep tonight at the hospital. If everything was good, she would be able to go out tomorrow. It made the two girls relieved that nothing was serious. The nurse left soon after she examined Tsugumi, leaving the two girls together again. Nobody dared talking though… Tsugumi was looking around the room awkwardly while Sayo was just staring through the window. But when the brown-haired girl finally stared at the girl, she noticed that the woman was moving her fingers in the air, as if she was playing the guitar. It made Tsugumi chuckle, and Sayo frowned a bit at that as she looked back at Tsugumi.  
  
“Is there something on my face Hazawa-san?”  
  
“N-No, not at all. It’s just… you really are serious Sayo-san. You can play the guitar if you want. But you can also leave the room…”  
  
Sayo showed a faint smile on her face, but she slightly blushed as well since Tsugumi seemed to have noticed her fingers.  
  
“I won’t leave you. I don’t really have anything to do until later today, and if you are alone it will be boring, wouldn’t it? But thank you for letting me play.”  
  
Sayo turned around and took her guitar from the guitar case that was in the corner of the room.  
  
“Can I… watch you?” Tsugumi asked, blushing a little at what she just asked. But Sayo just nodded as an answer while she set the guitar on her thigh.  
  
“You can Hazawa-san. We are in the same room anyway, and I’m in your room.”  
  
“Tsugumi is good, or even Tsugu.” The girl answered while grinning.   
  
“W-Well… Tsugumi…-san” She answered, trying not to blush too much. She wasn’t used to call people by their first name… But she didn’t know why she felt natural to call the girl by her first name. It was a bit embarrassing, but it wasn’t weird.  
  
Chasing those thoughts, she finally moved her hands on the guitar and played the songs she wanted to practice. Tsugumi just gazed at the girl the whole time, impressed by how Sayo was serious when it comes to playing the instrument. It was as if she was in her own bubble of music. She didn’t seem cold, but really serious. It felt like she really loved playing, and it made the girl smile at the view.

 

Some time passed, and Tsugumi was reading a manga she had in her bag. It was her only book to read, but she could at least do something. However, she didn’t stop looking at Sayo. From time to time, her eyes moved to the girl playing the guitar. And Tsugumi was lost staring at the woman until she met the girl’s eyes. She didn’t know why she was so focused on staring at the girl next to her. But she admired Sayo for being so serious about music and putting all her mind in playing. She wished she could be this serious… She only felt left being each time, and that’s why she was working hard to catch up with everyone. The teal-haired girl finally stood up and put her guitar back into her case, which snapped Tsugumi out of her thoughts.  
  
“Are you taking a break?”  
  
“Yes. I’m starting to be hungry, and I think it’s going to be lunch time for you as well Haza- I mean, Tsugumi-san.”  
  
“Oh I see, that’s true. Hehe and I’m starting to be hungry as well…” Tsugumi said while she rubbed the back of her neck.  
  
“I will come back after lunch until it’s time for Roselia’s rehearsal.” Sayo was packing her stuff and put her bag on her shoulder, though she let her guitar in the corner of the room.  
  
“You don’t have to stay with me…” Tsugumi felt bad to keep Sayo busy with her, she knew she could do other things if she weren’t with her… But actually, she was also very happy that the girl was staying. Her heart was beating a little faster when they were together, and she always felt happy. She really thought Sayo was one of her closest friends, maybe even more than the girls in the band.  
  
“Yes, but I still do. I can’t leave you alone after what happened Tsugumi-san.” Sayo walked toward the door but she gave a quick smile to the girl on the bed before she opened the door of the room. “Have a nice lunch.”  
  
“Thank you Sayo-san.”  
  
Sayo then left, leaving Tsugumi alone. She realized she felt really lonely when the girl left, and she was even more glad that the woman decided to stay with her. She wanted to listen to the girl’s guitar again and see her again. Just thinking about that made her heartbeat quicken and her cheeks get warmer.  
  
Soon enough, a nurse came into the room for lunch, so she was snapped out of her musings again. She ate lunch a bit reluctantly, hospital food wasn’t really delicious for her… And after that, she decided to take a little nap since she was feeling tired.  
  
Sayo came back a moment after with Tsugumi still sleeping. She tried not to make any noise as she sat on her chair next to the bed. She felt at ease around the brown-haired girl, as if she could do anything. And she was relaxed with Tsugumi. During her little training, she felt she was doing far better than usual…  
  
“Sayo-san?”  
  
Tsugumi finally woke up and smiled at Sayo. She didn’t know how long the girl was here, but she was really happy she was back.  
  
“Good morning Tsugumi-san.”  
  
Sayo gave a quick smile to the sick girl. Tsugumi was always surprised when she could notice a smile on the girl’s face, but she also felt a little special to be able to see this from her friend.  
  
“Hehe good morning… though it’s not the morning… good afternoon then?”  
  
“Yes, good afternoon seems better…” Sayo answered, and she seemed lost in her thoughts for a moment. Actually, she was thinking about something, about what she learnt during the cooking lesson with Tsugumi. She learnt moderation, and she also learnt not to overwork herself too much from that. She hoped Tsugumi, the one who taught her that, could open her eyes about this… She was really worried about the girl. It was strange, she’d never felt worried, at least not to this point. Of course she was concerned about the health of the members of the band, but not to this point. Honestly, she almost cried when she saw Tsugumi collapse, even though she wasn’t the kind of girl to cry easily…  
  
“Tsugumi-san, do you remember the cooking lesson?” She finally asked, looking at the brunette with a soft face and a warm stare.  
  
“Hm? Yes I do, it was the first time I talked with you that much Sayo-san…” Tsugumi answered, a little surprised by the sudden question. She didn’t expect the blue-haired girl to bring back this suddenly.  
  
“During that day, I learnt a lot of things. Of course I learnt how to bake cookies, but I also learnt that I don’t have to work too hard because some stuffs don’t have to be perfect, that I should also take care of myself… you taught me that Tsugumi-san. Before that, I used to train again and again and again, stopping only when my fingers were covered with band-aids. But now, I know when I need to stop… Sometimes I overwork when I really want to play a part of a song, but most of the time… I think I can stop… Because of what you taught me… and I think I’m playing better than before as well, because I’m not tired that much anymore…”  
  
Tsugumi listened carefully. She didn’t know she changed the girl that much, and she felt a little warm inside. She was joyful she could improve her friend’s life… And she grinned. It was a great feeling, and she wasn’t tensed at all anymore around Sayo.  
  
“I’m glad I helped you then Sayo-san… I’m very happy I was able to do something like this…”  
  
But Sayo shook her head. It wasn’t her goal to make Tsugumi happy about this, though she was happy the girl was.  
  
“No… What I mean is that you should do the same. I don’t want you to overwork to the point you collapse. You taught me moderation, but you don’t apply this to yourself. I was worried about you when you suddenly fell you know.”  
  
Tsugumi didn’t know how to react. She was torn between being overjoyed the girl was worried about her, but also guilty she made her worry. She looked at her own hands that were gripping the bed sheets. Her heart was aching… She didn’t want to make the girl worried about her…  
  
“I see… I’m sorry I made you worry… I… I promise I won’t make you worry again! I will do my best for that!”  
  
“I just care about you Tsugumi-san. As long as you don’t overwork yourself again I’m happy.”  
  
Sayo was caring about her…? Tsugumi suddenly blushed and didn’t know how to answer. She flailed a little on the bed and finally looked a bit away, embarrassed.  
  
“I… Yes I won’t… I promise…”

 

After their little chat, Sayo had to leave. Visit time was almost done, and she also needed to go to Roselia’s rehearsal. Tsugumi was left alone for the end of the day, though Sayo told her she would come back tomorrow. The girl spent the end of the day reading her manga, and she went to bed really early since she had nothing else to do. Hopefully, she didn’t have fever and was feeling good, it wasn’t as bad as the first time she collapsed. The next day, the doctor told her she could leave, and she was really happy. She didn’t really like staying at the hospital, especially when she was alone. Sayo didn’t come until she was about to leave. Of course, Tsugumi sent her a message when she talked with the doctor, and Sayo told her she was coming. The brunette had already packed all her stuff and smiled at the woman when she entered the room.  
  
“Good morning Sayo-san!”  
  
“Good morning Tsugumi-san. You look well.”   
  
Tsugumi started to smile as soon as Sayo entered the room. She was really happy to see the woman again, she could almost jump in her arms. But she didn’t… she didn’t know if Sayo would enjoy it after all. She was used to having physical contact with her friends in Afterglow, but not with Sayo.  
  
“It’s thanks to you, you were here for me yesterday after all~”  
  
Sayo blushed a little and opened her eyes slightly wider with what Tsugumi said, but she decided not to react to this, acting as if she didn’t hear about this.  
  
“Are you ready to leave?”  
  
“Yes, let’s go then.” Tsugumi carried her bag on her shoulders and left the room with Sayo. They both walked outside without really talking. Tsugumi was a bit embarrassed to talk, and Sayo didn’t know what to say at all, not used to chatting with someone. But they both enjoyed the other’s presence, and they felt at ease together. While they were walking, their shoulders brushed against each other from time to time, but none of the girl moved away. Tsugumi felt her heartbeat quickening a little each time it happened, and she blushed slightly, but it wasn’t really noticeable. However, she wasn’t hiding her smile. Sayo meanwhile was feeling her heart tightening, and she didn’t know what was happening, but she tried to stay composed.  
  
“Say Sayo-san… Wanna go out later today? I’ll go back home to drop my stuff, but I have nothing to do after that so… I was wondering if you wanted to go out…?”  
  
Sayo chuckled slightly, which made Tsugu feel a little weird and worried that she said something she shouldn’t have. But the girl was actually about to ask her the same thing. She asked the girl to go out before she collapsed, so she wanted to see if the invitation was still good.  
  
“Did I say a bad thing…?”  
  
“No don’t worry… I was just about to ask you the same thing. I’d gladly go out with you Tsugumi-san.”  
  
“Then, let’s meet in front of CiRCLE at 3 in the afternoon!”  
  
“Hmm… yes it sounds good.” Sayo answered. It has been so long since she last hanged out with Tsugumi, and she was looking forward to it.

 


	2. You love music, don't you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsugumi is going to hang out with Sayo and she's looking forward to seeing the girl again. But before that, she has some time and take it to chat with her friends again... How will they react when they will tell her about the last days? And what will happen during her time with Sayo?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for all the support, the kudos and the comments on the chapter 1!! It really made me sooo overjoyed <33 I hope this chapter will be as good as the previous one!! I'm sorry I'm late with posting the chapter, I was busy last week and really sick >< But I didn't forget you <3 Enjoy this~

“Aahhh…”  
  
When she came back home, Tsugumi went into her bedroom and lied on her bed. She was still a little tired after staying all day before in bed at the hospital. And she didn’t really have a lot of things to do at home. Her parents told her not to work today, and she couldn’t really rehearse just after healing from overwork. She may want to work hard to catch up with everyone, but she knew when it was best not to, at least now she knew. And today wasn’t the day to play the piano or the keyboard. She looked at the alarm clock on her bedside table to check how long she can stay lying. It was around 1 in the afternoon, and she wasn’t living far from CiRCLE, so she could relax for around an hour before going out.  
  
“I still have some time hmm… Oh yes, let’s check my phone…”  
  
She couldn’t use her phone at the hospital, so she decided to check what happened during her day when she was convalescing. When she turned it on, she noticed the huge number of messages and missed calls from her friends. Her face could almost turn white seeing this.  
  
“Crap I didn’t tell them… So… the group conversation… There”  
  
Tsugumi quickly opened her message application and searched for the group conversation she shared with her friends from Afterglow. She could read that they were worried about her not answering any messages or calls. Just reading about this made her hands moist from stress. The girl was remembering how worried her friends were last time she collapsed, and she still felt really bad about making them worry. After taking her time to breathe, she finally sent a message.  
  
Tsugumi > “Hey! Sorry I didn’t turn my phone on yesterday. I’m back now!”  
  
Himari > “Tsuguuuu! You’re back! I was so worried!!! Did something happen?”  
  
Tsugumi just stared at her phone for a moment. ‘Should I tell them…? I should but… I don’t want them to worry more…’ While she was thinking, her friends kept sending messages.  
  
Tomoe > “Hey Tsugu. Are you okay? I was about to head toward your house.”  
  
When she read Tomoe’s message, she finally answered. She really didn’t want to trouble her friends more. Yet it still took her some time to write her message, rewriting it a lot to make it sound correct.  
  
Tsugumi > “Yes I’m good now. I… collapsed and Sayo-san brought me to the hospital. She kept me company so I’m good!”  
  
Tomoe > “You collapsed?!”  
  
Himari > “Are you sure you’re okay?!”  
  
Ran > “Sayo kept you company?”  
  
Moca > “Ran~ that’s all you think about in what Tsugu said~?”  
  
Ran > “No! But it’s still important! She’s from Roselia”  
  
Tsugumi was already distraught with her friends writing so fast she had trouble to answer them all. She did her best to answer the questions.  
  
Tsugumi > “Yes I collapsed, but I’m good, don’t worry! Sayo-san spent most of the day with me yesterday. I don’t know why, but at least it wasn’t boring.”  
  
Himari > “I’m glad you’re feeling good Tsuguuu!!”  
  
Tomoe > “At least you are good yeah… And you weren’t alone.”  
  
Moca > “Sayo really care about you Tsugu~”  
  
The brunette flushed slightly, but she quickly typed back to stop Moca’s teasing. She didn’t want people to gossip about her relationship with her friend. It was true that she felt different with the blue-haired girl, but it was just friendship… wasn’t it..?  
  
Ran > “.”  
  
Tsugumi > “We’re just friends!”  
  
Moca > “Friends hu~ are you sure~? Your heart didn’t beat fast when you were alone~?”  
  
Tsugumi > “No it didn’t! Moca-chan stop teasing me… ><”  
  
Yet, the brunette could feel her cheeks warmer. Just thinking about how she felt when her shoulder brushed Sayo’s, her heartbeat quickened for sure. And she felt truly herself, and peaceful… She was different when she was with Sayo, she was at ease and wasn’t thinking about working more and more. But she really thought they were just friends.  
  
Ran > “.”  
  
Himari > “Are you okay Ran?”  
  
Ran > “Yeah, same as always.”  
  
Moca > “She’s just shocked Tsugu has feelings for someone from Roselia~”  
  
Tsugumi > “I don’t have”  
    > “we’re just friends!”  
    > “I’m leaving now, I have things to do.”  
  
  
She quickly turned the screen of her phone off after she muted the conversation. She didn’t want to be bothered more by her friends. She loved them of course, but sometimes they could be a little too into her privacy. Moreover, she needed to be ready soon, she still had time but Tsugumi wanted to be ready as soon as possible.  
  
“Hmmm, what should I wear…”  
  
The girl walked toward her closet, and stared at her outfit for a moment. Actually, she spent a lot of time finding something nice. She took some outfit, tried them, but she kept changing to see if she could find something better. Time passed and she finally found something nice enough. She found a blue dress and a white jacket to wear. Under her dress, she was wearing a pink shirt. When she was done, it was almost time for her to leave already. She started to panic even though she still had some time, and she quickly left the room with her bag. She really didn’t want to be late. She wanted to see the girl as soon as possible, and she was sure Sayo would be here earlier as well. She knew her well enough, she already did this when they hanged out together before. With a grin on her face, she headed toward the station.

 

Tsugumi arrived a moment later after taking the train. The train station where she arrived was really near. So, she only had to walk for few minutes to arrive. As she thought, even though she was fifteen minutes ahead of the time, Sayo was here waiting for her. The blue-haired girl was wearing a light-blue shirtdress, and the brown-haired girl stopped a little to stare at the girl, she really found her beautiful. She thought the girl could be a model with how beautiful she was… She chased her thoughts by shaking her head and finished walking toward the girl.  
  
“Sayo-san!”  
  
As she called the girl out, Sayo turned around and stared back at Tsugumi, fainting a little smile, which made Tsugumi smile back happily. They saw each other this morning at the hospital, but the brunette still felt as if they didn’t see each other for a long time. Just looking at the girl in front of her made her heartbeat quicken, but she didn’t really think about it and just enjoyed being with her friend.  
  
“Tsugumi-san. You’re early.”  
  
“And still you were here before me Sayo-san…” Tsugumi shifted on her feet, feeling a little bad she made Sayo wait for her. “I hope you didn’t wait too much…”  
  
Sayo gently shook her head to answer the girl, and flashed another smile. Actually, she didn’t want to stay at home so she was waiting in front of CiRCLE after she ate lunch at home, but she didn’t want to worry her friend.  
  
“No, I just arrived myself. But let’s eat something, I spotted an empty table.”  
  
Tsugumi sighed from relief when she heard Sayo didn’t wait too much, and she gladly followed the girl, walking next to her, as close as possible. She felt relaxed and she really wanted to be close to Sayo, but she didn’t know why she felt like this. Sayo didn’t say anything about the closeness, and she even enjoyed it, even if she tried to keep her composure. Her heartbeat also quickened with their shoulders touching each other. She led Tsugumi to an empty table, but she didn’t sit for the moment. They needed to buy the drinks and food themselves here, so she decided to ask what the brown-haired wanted to buy everything.  
  
“What do you want Tsugumi-san? I think I will take a hot chocolate.”  
  
Tsugumi pondered a little and quickly looked at the menu, she didn’t really think about her order, and she didn’t want to make Sayo wait for her to decide. She spotted something that seemed good enough on the menu and decided to choose this.  
  
“Hmmm, a hot chocolate and… maybe this cake with strawberries…”  
  
“I will order that then, you can wait for me here.” Sayo started to turn around, but Tsugumi stood up to stop her.  
  
“Wait, I’m coming with you Sayo-san.” She exclaimed, not moving from her position but she stared intensely at Sayo’s back. The girl turned around and shook her head.  
  
“It’s okay Tsugumi-san. You just came back from the hospital, I don’t want you to push yourself again. Just sit and wait.”   
  
Tsugumi sighed again, but she resigned herself to stay at the table. Sayo wasn’t wrong, and she knew it was hard to convince Sayo to change her mind. So, she smiled and sat on her chair again.  
  
“Okay, but only for today!”  
  
A smile crossed on Sayo’s face before she turned around again. Tsugumi just waited at the table and stared at Sayo taking the order. The girl seemed really calm and composed, as well as cute and cool, and the brown-haired girl was lost staring at her, not able to look away. She didn’t know why, but her eyes were locked on Sayo, and just looking at her made her cheeks warming. Fortunately, Tsugu didn’t have the time to stare at the girl too much, since she came back soon enough and sat in front of her. She looked away slightly with her cheeks red.  
  
“Are you okay Tsugumi-san?”  
  
“Y-Yes, I’m good don’t worry!”   
  
Tsugumi tried not to panic in front of Sayo, and just took a huge breathe to calm herself. Sayo, meanwhile, stared at the girl in front of her, one eyebrow raised as she didn’t know why she was acting weird all of a sudden. But she relaxed when Tsugu began to drink her hot chocolate. She didn’t really move for a moment, just gazing at the girl in front of her who was eating her cake. It was strange… she wasn’t used to feeling at ease with someone else. She could smile naturally around the girl, without even noticing she was. Sayo followed Tsugumi and began to sip her drink. The brunette was the first breaking the silence between those two.  
  
“Thank you again Sayo-san… you took care of me… And you even kept me company”  
  
Sayo was a little surprised by the words. She put her cup back on the table before she answered.  
  
“You don’t have to thank me Tsugumi-san. I only did what everyone would have done… Besides, your company is always enjoyed.”  
  
Tsugumi slightly blushed, and she tried to hide herself behind her cup as she drank her chocolate again. She had already finished eating her cake, which was really delicious and made her smile warmly, and the hot chocolate was also really yummy. Sayo meanwhile had already finished her drink, and was just gazing again at the girl in front of her. She could see their moment already ending, and she didn’t want to leave now. She wanted to spend more time with Tsugumi, to feel really herself, and to keep being happy by the girl’s sides. Each time she was with her, she felt even happier, and she wanted to see how much she can experience this, spending time with a wonderful friend… She enjoyed spending time with the girls in Roselia, but with Tsugu, it was completely different… she didn’t know how, but it certainly was…  
  
“Tsugumi-san, do you want to go to the music shop together after that? Ending the day with only a hot chocolate and a cake wouldn’t be the best I think, would it?”  
  
“Of course, let’s go there!” Tsugumi answered after she finished her drink, her usual grin on her face that she showed a lot around Sayo. And Sayo answered with a larger smile than usual, not even thinking about smiling. It was natural. Just seeing Sayo smile made Tsugumi’s heartbeat quickening, but she tried not to think about it, she just wanted to enjoy this day with Sayo as long as possible…

 

After taking the train again and walking a little, the two girls arrived at the usual Edogawa music shop. They were regular clients there, especially Sayo who came almost once a week to buy picks or strings. Tsugumi didn’t come a lot, she didn’t have to change things often on her keyboard, so she mostly came here with her friends. This time, she was with Sayo. The two entered the shop and walked toward the shelf with the guitar accessories. Sayo was leading the way and Tsugumi followed her happily, they didn’t chat a lot on their way, but surprisingly, it didn’t feel awkward. Yet Tsugumi broke the silence when they arrived. She was a little curious about Sayo’s taste, and she wanted to know more basic things about Sayo.  
  
“What sort of strings do you love?”  
  
Sayo didn’t look a lot at the shelf and quickly picked her strings. She perfectly knew where they were, used to buy the same as always. Of course, she tried a lot of other types before, but they were her favourites, it was the best touch and they had a great sound.  
  
“Those one. It feels really great to play with them, and the sound is the one I prefer. It suits Roselia perfectly.”  
  
Tsugumi stared at the strings, and she suddenly chuckled. It made Sayo raise an eyebrow, not understanding why she was suddenly laughing. But before she could ask what was happening, the brunette answered.  
  
“Moca-chan really dislikes them, it’s fun how everyone has different preferences.”  
  
Sayo smiled after the girl talked, she could definitely see why Moca didn’t like them. Actually, those strings weren’t popular and the most used, but she really liked them and didn’t want to change.  
  
“I think I can understand why… but I really love them.”  
  
As she talked about this, Tsugumi just stared at Sayo’s smile, grinning back. She was overjoyed to share this little moment with her friend. And talking about one of her passions with Sayo was the best thing. She could feel Sayo’s passion for music in their words. And thinking about this, she wanted to feel Sayo’s music and passion even more…  
  
“Sayo… I was wondering… Errr…” Tsugumi tried to say, but she couldn’t really think about the words to ask Sayo about her idea. But Sayo smiled warmly at her, which appeased her instantly. Her smile was so beautiful it made Tsugumi blush slightly and her heartbeat quicken.  
  
“Yes Tsugumi-san?” Sayo asked, wondering what Tsugumi wanted to say. She actually didn’t notice she was smiling and just raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Well, I was wondering if you wanted to… rehearse together one day? Like, really together and not on our own side… we should play together Sayo-san!” Tsugumi finally stated, determined. She wanted to get an answer from Sayo, and she wanted it to be positive. And her wish was granted.  
  
“Yes of course I’d like to. I was actually thinking about this.” Sayo answered, looking back at Tsugumi. They stayed like this for some seconds, just gazing into each other’s eyes, until Tsugumi broke the silence again.  
  
“I’m so happy… Let’s do our best then!”   
  
“Yes, of course. But let’s pay this for now.” Sayo said to bring them back to reality, she was already thinking about spending time with Tsugumi in a studio to play together, but she knew it wasn’t the time to dream.  
  
The two girls walked to the till and Sayo paid the strings she bought. Then, they left the shop and just walked, without any destination in their mind. They just enjoyed the time together, chatting about music, about their hobbies.   
  
“Sayo-san, I’m surprised you like sweet things”   
  
“Is that really surprising?” Sayo asked, raising an eyebrow. She didn’t know people were surprised about this…  
  
“Yes, at first I thought you were the type of girl to drink black coffee~ hehe” Tsugumi answered, giggling happily. She was joyful to learn more about Sayo. And each time she learnt something about her, she felt even closer with her. Actually, they were walking very close to each other, her shoulders brushing against each other, and sometimes the back of their hand touched each other, which made the two girls blush. “Actually, I don’t like black coffee either, even though my family run a cafe…”  
  
“Black coffee is a little… Too bitter for me…”  
  
“Me too actually, I love black tea more.”  
  
They kept chatting together while wandering in the town, and after some time, they finally stopped in a park.

 

The park was calm with almost nobody around the two girls, letting them walk peacefully around. The sun was starting to set which made a beautiful scene to enjoy, and Tsugumi just noticed a bench near them to enjoy the sunset.  
  
“Let’s sit for a moment Sayo-san…” She proposed without looking at the girl.  
  
“Yes…”  
  
The two girls started to actually be tensed around each other. Tsugumi didn’t know what to talk about after everything she said, and Sayo was also struggling to find a new topic. Sitting next to each other on the bench wasn’t helping them. Their heartbeat quickened, and Sayo thought she could die anytime. She had never felt like that before, it was so strange… Until now, the only thing she was thinking was being perfect playing the guitar, she didn’t want Hina to surpass her on the guitar… Actually, Hina did surpass her, but she made a promise with her sister to catch up with her. And now, she felt like she could do anything with Tsugumi, but she still couldn’t accept that Hina beat her at the only thing she was starting to own to herself…  
  
Sayo was snapped out of her thoughts by Tsugumi. For a moment, the girl was glancing from time to time at Sayo’s hand. She remembered the feeling when she woke up at the hospital. Sayo was holding her hand… She didn’t think that much about it during that time, but… She thought she felt the hard skin at the tip of the girl’s fingers. She wasn’t sure she felt it actually, and she wanted to check.  
  
“Sayo-san… Can I hold your hand for a moment?”  
  
“Eh?” Sayo jumped a little from the surprise question, and she even blushed slightly. She didn’t know what to do. ‘Holding hand isn’t a big deal… Why am I acting like that…?” She pondered for a moment, not able to look at Tsugumi’s eyes, and with her cheeks still red blushing, she nodded. “Y-Yes…”  
  
Tsugumi moved her hand, but before she could touch Sayo’s hand, she froze for a moment. It was way more embarrassing than she thought. Her cheeks turned red as well, albeit she didn’t notice Sayo’s blushing cheeks. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes while she finally held Sayo’s hand. It felt really warm… for a moment, she just stayed holding the girl’s hand, feeling the warmth. She slowly opened her eyes to stare at the girl’s hand, and then she intertwined her fingers with Sayo’s. The blue-haired girl was really embarrassed, but also overjoyed with her heart feeling like it was tightening happily. She held back Tsugumi’s hand, which seemed far softer than hers, and she finally stared at the girl. But Tsugumi was still staring at the girl’s hand, and it made Sayo concerned about why she was so focused on the hand.  
  
“What’s wrong Tsugumi-san?”  
  
“Hmm…” Tsugumi gently caressed the tip of Sayo’s fingers, and Sayo didn’t know why she was doing this. She was too curious about Tsugu’s behaviour to blush or be embarrassed.   
  
“I just wanted to check something… You play a lot… you must love music, don’t you?”  
  
Sayo opened her eyes slightly wider after Tsugumi talked. She didn’t know what to answer at first. She’d always played the guitar because her sister wasn’t playing it. Until recently at least… Since Hina started to play in Pastel*Palettes, Sayo was lost in her feelings. She didn’t want to lose again against her sisters, and yet she did. Did she really love music after everything that happened…?  
  
“I… don’t know…” The blue-haired girl answered as she stared at the sun, lost in her thoughts for a moment. “I started playing the guitar because Hina wasn’t playing it. I played the guitar only because I could have something for me. I don’t really know if I love music, I didn’t think about this… And lately, everything is a mess. Hina started playing the guitar, and she became even better than me, she beat me again… Do I really have the right to love music when I started it for a selfish reason-”  
  
“Of course you can!” Tsugumi quickly exclaimed, cutting Sayo. She was finally looking at the blue-haired girl in the eyes while frowning. She seemed a little upset about something. “Lately, even during rehearsals, you’re smiling when you play the guitar. You’re doing your best when you play the guitar. If you didn’t like music, you wouldn’t be smiling and rehearsing that much! And I love your music!”  
  
Sayo opened her eyes wider again. She was surprised about what Tsugumi said. Surprised that she could actually love something. She was having fun playing in Roselia, that was true… She didn’t know she was smiling though, the only thing she was concentrated on was her guitar. But when she was playing, she was in her own world. She still wasn’t satisfied with her song, but she wanted to keep playing… Maybe she really liked it… and knowing that someone was also loving her music warmed her heart.  
  
“It seems like you know me more than I know myself… Thank you Tsugumi-san. You always help me and open my eyes… I can’t thank you enough…” Sayo finally said warmly and softly, smiling at the girl, and Tsugumi smiled back brightly.  
  
“We are a bit alike, so I know you can’t dislike music. Your hands prove it. You don’t have to thank me…” She said and squeezed Sayo’s hand a little.   
  
Sayo stared at her hand a little, and smiled after what Tsugumi said. But suddenly, she remembered she was really holding hand with the girl, and she slightly blushed again.  
  
“By the way… Are you… done with my hand Tsugumi-san…?”  
  
  
Tsugumi opened her eyes wider, and she suddenly blushed again at the revelation. It became suddenly embarrassing now that she confirmed the hard skin part. She quickly released Sayo’s hand and looked away slightly.  
  
“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to hold it that long.”  
  
“It- It’s okay Tsugumi-san…”  
  
They both looked away from each other while blushing for a moment, and they were snapped out of her embarrassment by the light in the park turning on.  
  
“Let’s go back, it’s starting to be late.” Sayo stated. And Tsugumi nodded before they both stood up. But before walking, Tsugumi asked something.  
  
“Sayo-san, are you free next week?”  
  
Sayo pondered a little, but she didn’t think she was busy that day next week, so she answered positively, though she was a little curious about the question.  
  
“Yes I am, why?”  
  
“Hmmm, let’s do something together again then… If you don’t mind.”  
  
Sayo could only chuckle in front of Tsugumi before she smiled. She didn’t mind at all, she really enjoyed the girl around her. She was actually happy to be able to spend more time with Tsugumi soon.  
  
“Yes, let’s do something together.”  
  
Tsugumi grinned when she had an answer, and they both began to walk out of the park.  
  
She would spend the day next week with Sayo again… She was looking forward for this.


	3. Why am I feeling like this..?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two week after getting out of the hospital, Tsugumi got another rehearsal with Afterglow, and Ran is fighting with Yukina again. However, this time it went a little too far for the brown-haired girl and she doesn't hesitate to get angry. Especially if it's for Sayo's sake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!!!!!!!!! I'm sorry I kept you waiting that long!! My motivation is back! I don't know for how long, but I will try to write as much as possible before it disappears again..!! Here's another fluffy and sappy and useless lesbian chapter for all of you!!!

It’s been two weeks since Tsugumi got out of the hospital. Last week, she went out with Sayo again, as they planned together. They went to a cafe, another one that CiRCLE, before Tsugumi led them to a bookshop since she wanted new cooking books. Actually, she wanted to learn more recipes to make dishes, in case one day she had to make something for Sayo.  
  
They were now together, with their bands, in a room in CiRCLE. Today was a joined reheasal with Roselia and Afterglow… But as usual, Yukina and Ran were arguing. Everyone was so used to this that they didn’t even try to stop them anymore. They just prepared their instruments carefully while some of them were chatting together, like Ako and Rinko. However, something caught Sayo and Tsugumi’s ears after some times…  
  
“… Besides, because of your band member Hikawa Sayo, Tsugumi collapsed!”  
  
“It has no-” Sayo started to reply, chiming in the conversation, but Tsugumi couldn’t hold it anymore. She was already tired of those two fighting all the time for nothing, but involving Sayo in their stupid argument was too much, and her body moved even before she could think twice about it. For some reason, hearing Sayo being badmouthed hurt her even more than she’d even been. She couldn’t stand hearing that.  
  
*slap*  
  
Tsugumi slapped Ran, and she looked really angry with her eyebrows furrowed, which surprised Ran a lot since she’d never seen Tsugumi this angry before. Everyone in the room suddenly stopped talking and stared at Tsugumi and Ran, not even able to say something. Seeing the usually calm and cheerful Tsugumi slapping her friend was shocking for everyone, especially people in Afterglow.  
  
“Don’t say anything bad about Sayo-san! She was the one who helped me! She was the one here for me after I was the one being reckless and pushing myself too much! If someone has to be blamed, blame me! But don’t talk bad about Sayo-san!”  
  
Ran was so dumbsounded that she didn’t move for a moment, nor talked. When Tsugumi was done talking, she raised one hand to her cheek that was slapped, and bit her lips a little. She suddenly felt guilty. She was the one who made Tsugumi angry, and she knew it was rare, almost impossible, to make her like this. Even Yukina felt a little bad, since she was the one having an argument with Ran.  
  
“I… I’m sorry Tsugumi…”  
  
“There’s someone else who needs those apologize more than me.” Tsugu answered, calmer than before but still very serious. And Ran turned to Sayo, who was still shocked from what happened.  
  
“I’m sorry Sayo-san…”  
  
Sayo came back to her senses after Ran talked.  
  
“I accept your apologizes. Now please can we finally start rehearsing? If you don’t want to rehearse, you’re free to leave this room.”  
  
Of course, nobody left and they all went back to their instruments and chatting, though the atmosphere was still slighty heavy. When Tsugumi glanced at Sayo, the teal-haired girl smiled at her, a way to thank her for standing up for her. And Tsugumi grinned back happily.   
  
Tomoe and Lisa didn’t let this detail pass as something trivial though. Lisa didn’t see Sayo smile a lot, except when she’s playing the guitar. But looking at such a genuine smile from Sayo made her smile as well. She definitely noticed there was something between Sayo and Tsugumi, since the latter was the only one making the former smiling like this. It reminded her of Yukina’s smile when they were the two of them only, and she tried not to giggle at the view. Tomoe, in her case, knew Tsugumi for a long time so it wasn’t rare for her to see her friend smiling, but seeing such a precious smile toward Sayo just after she stood up for the girl, she wasn’t dumb at this point, and she couldn’t help but smirk, seeing her friend growing up as well.  
  
“Tomoe-chan~ is something wrong?” Himari asked, wondering why Tomoe was grinning.  
  
“Nothing nothing, let’s start rehearsing now!” She said enthusiastically, but before Himari could go back to her bass, Tomoe asked something else, slightly blushing. “By the way, are you free after? We could go to a cafe together if you want.”  
  
“I want to!!!” Himari said, even more passionately than Tomoe, and she tried not to hug her girlfriend in front of everyone.   
  
After everyone is done preparing their instrument, they start playing together according to a planning they made earlier. Sometimes, they both played the same song at the same time, sometimes it was one band playing and the other one watching to give some advice at the end. They always worked like this, and even though Yukina and Ran had trouble to accept advice from the other, it was still a good way to improve.   
  
From time to time, Tsugumi couldn’t help but take a once-over at Sayo, but she could only but blush and look away after some seconds. She didn’t know why she was blushing nor why her heart was beating so fast, but she tried not to think about it when she was playing. She was too into the song when she was playing to think about something else after all. She didn’t want to miss a note and ruin the song. When she was playing, she was frowning a little with her concentration, but she couldn’t help but smile being in sync with all her friends. And seeing Tsugumi like that made Sayo’s heart skip some beats when she looked at her like this.  
  
  
Practice ended faster than Tsugumi thought. It actually lasted two hours, but she didn’t see the time passing by. So she started to tidy her stuff after a little break to drink.  
  
Weirdly, everyone left in a hurry. Yukina and Lisa together, Ako and Rinko, Moca and Ran, Tomoe and Himari. They all left by pairs, making Tsugu wonder if anything happened? Or if they hated her after what she did. She started to feel sad and guilty, until Sayo came talking to her.  
  
“Tsugumi-san, do you want to… spend some time after?”  
  
Tsugumi blushed a little, without any reason for her, but she couldn’t help but blush. As she tried to keep her composure, she smiled at Sayo to answer her.  
  
“I’d like to! But…”  
  
“But?” Sayo tilted her head a little, wondering what was wrong suddenly. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked that…  
  
“I have to work today…”  
  
“Oh… I see… Maybe next time then…” Sayo looked slightly disappointed, which hurt Tsugumi’s heart a lot. And so, without even thinking, Tsugumi grabbed Sayo’s wrist when the girl was walking back to her guitar.  
  
“Wait! You can wait for me at the cafe!! And… We can bake together after I’m done with my shift if you want!” Sayo stated, with a determined look on her face, and also a look Sayo can’t say no to. With a little smile, she nods.  
  
“Alright, let’s do this Tsugumi-san.”  
  
Tsugumi grinned warmly, and she tidied all her stuff faster than ever, before she left with Sayo to go to her cafe.  
  


 

 

After taking the train, and a little walk together, Sayo and Tsugumi arrived at Hazawa cafe. They talked about everything and nothing on their way. Even though Sayo wasn’t usually talkative, she couldn’t help but talk even more around Tsugumi, not knowing why.  
  
Tsugumi opened the door for Sayo, and they both entered the cafe, with some clients already enjoying their coffee.  
  
“Try to find a table and I will take your order when I’m done changing Sayo-san!”  
  
“Alright.”  
  
Sayo looked around when she parted with Tsugumi. One table was free in a quiet corner of the room, so she decided to go there. She could do some homework easily there, it is certainly quieter than when Hina is around actually. She had taken some books and papers from her bag when Tsugumi came back. Sayo, still focused in her papers, didn’t hear her coming.  
  
“What will you order Sayo-san?”  
  
Sayo, now hearing Tsugumi talking to her, raised her head from the paper. But she was suddenly stunned by something.  
  
Tsugumi was wearing her usual outfit for when she worked at the cafe, and it wasn’t the first time Sayo saw her in this outfit, but for some reasons, she found her so beautiful suddenly, and she couldn’t say anything… except something she was thinking unconsciously.  
  
“You…”  
  
“Eh?” Tsugumi suddenly flushed, not sure about what she just heard, but she couldn’t prevent herself from blushing intensely at what she thought she had heard. “Wh-What did you say?”  
  
Sayo, raised one eyebrow when Tsugumi asked that. She didn’t think she said something… Until suddenly she remember thinking about answering something, but she thought she hadn’t spoken her idea. Maybe she did? Thinking about that made her flush as much as Tsugumi, and she tried to think about the first drink she could think to order.  
  
“I- I- I’d like a… black tea… Tsugumi-san…”  
  
“A-Alright! B-Black tea! Is that all?”  
  
“Y-Yeah…”  
  
“A-Alright, I- I will be back soon!”  
  
During this short exchange, both of them looked everywhere except at the other’s eyes. Tsugumi left Sayo again, her face still red blushing. Sayo, meanwhile, tried to concentrate herself on her work again, but she couldn’t think about anything else other than what she said to Tsugumi. _‘How can I say that so casually? It doesn’t look like me…’_ She sighed heavily, and after Tsugumi gave her the black tea, she sipped at it to clear her mind. Tsugumi could only give her the drink and wish her good luck for the work as she started to get called by other customers.  
  
Sayo worked hard on her homework until the end. However, she couldn’t help but glance at Tsugumi from time to time. She still wondered what was those feelings inside her. Her heart was in a weird state: beating fast and feeling like it was tightening inside her chest. She tried not to think about it too much, but it happened each time she looked at Tsugumi. ‘Maybe I’m starting to get sick…’  
  
Just when she started to tidy her papers and books after finishing filling them, she heard her phone vibrating, and she took it. It was a message from Ako in their NFO chat.  
  
Ako > “Hey hey! There’s a new event on NFO! Who wanna do it?”  
  
Rinko > “I’d like to (*≧▽≦)”  
  
Sayo didn’t really know how to answer. It was interesting… But, she also wanted to stay with Tsugumi a little longer and bake with her.  
  
Thinking about Tsugumi… While Sayo was in her thought to answer in the group chat, Tsugumi sat in front of her, still in her uniform.  
  
“Is something wrong Sayo-san?”  
  
“Hm?” Sayo raised her head to find Tsugumi sitting close to her, and she couldn’t help but blush, especially at the view of Tsugumi’s radiant smile. “N-No nothing, just a message.”  
  
She quickly taped her answer before she turned her screen off.  
  
Sayo > “Sorry, I’m busy today. Maybe next time.”  
  
Sayo didn’t read the new messages in the group chat, and just sipped the end of her tea while looking at Tsugumi’s drink. She was sure Ako was trying to convince her to come or something like this.  
  
“Is that black tea as well?” She asked curiously.  
  
“Hehe yes, I enjoy this more!”  
  
“It’s true that you mentioned not liking black coffee either” Sayo answering, a grin on her face, which made Tsugu’s heart skip a beat.  
  
“Yes… We both don’t like this then~” Tsugu answered as she tried not to blush too much, and then sipped her tea. “Do you mind if we chat a little longer until the cafe is closed? It would be easier to use the kitchen after.”  
  
“Not at all.” Sayo answering, smiling again. ‘I love talking with you’ What was she was thinking, but she didn’t let her thoughts slip this time.  
  
And so, the two girls chatted for around 15 minutes. Tsugumi asked some questions about Sayo’s homeworks, wondering if the difficulty of the homework is still manageable with the rehearsals. She started to be a little worried about next year already, but while thinking about this, she also thought about Sayo leaving the town. Maybe she would go to university in another town after all. Just thinking about Sayo leaving her made her heart ache for some reasons, but she tried not to think about it, still wearing her smile while talking to Sayo. Thinking about the present and enjoying her time with Sayo was something she wanted to do right now.

 

It didn’t take too long for the cafe to finally be closed. Actually, talking together was so much fun that the two girls didn’t notice the time flying. After she found an apron for Sayo to wear, Tsugumi lead Sayo in the kitchen. As soon as she entered the room, she turned on the oven to preheat it while they will be preparing the cookies.  
  
“Hmmm, do you remember how to make cookies Sayo-san?”  
  
“Yes. I made a lot of them for Roselia since then… I think I’m confident in my skills to make cookies at least.” She answered with a confident smile. ‘I can’t promise for the other sweets though…’  
  
Tsugumi couldn’t help but giggle at Sayo’s smile.  
  
“Then, I will give you the ingredients and you can start making it by yourself? Like this, I can prepare the icing at the same time!” She said as she already started to take out all the ingredients from the fridge and cupboards.  
  
“Alright… It really reminds me of the time we first baked together. Although this time I won’t be a dead weight to you.”   
  
Tsugumi frowned a little at what Sayo said as she put the ingredients next to Sayo.  
  
“I can’t accept that. You weren’t a dead weight! You were incredible, and of course you were just learning to make cookies, but you were a fast-learner, and I’m happy I was able to teach you! Don’t look down on yourself Sayo-san, your cookies were delicious, and you made them by yourself.”  
  
Sayo couldn’t help but blush a little at Tsugumi’s words, She always had the good words to comfort her… She started to prepare the cookie dough, moving her hands with much more experience than when she came here to learn.  
  
“W-Well, I suppose I can think about it this way…” Sayo’s voice trailed off as she started to be really concentrated into making the dough, and Tsugumi decided to leave the girl alone a little to make the icing.  
  
She took the ingredients for her, and started working on the icing. But it was really fast to make, and she was done far earlier than Sayo was done with her part, so she went back next to the teal-haired girl to stare at what she was doing.  
  
The girl seemed to move her hands skillfully, and Tsugumi quickly noticed that Sayo had much more experience now. She didn’t even have to say something, and just staid quiet to let the girl be concentrated. Yet, her eyes wandered from time to time between Sayo’s hands and Sayo’s face. She couldn’t help but think about when they went out together after she was out of the hospital. She remember holding Sayo’s hand, and they were really warm… She felt protected and cared about…  
  
“…gumi-san?”  
  
Tsugumi wanted to hold Sayo’s hands again, and she couldn’t help but flush at the thought of that. Until suddenly, she felt one of Sayo’s hand on her forehead, and she jumped a little backward, snapping out of her musings.  
  
“Are you alright Tsugumi-san? You seem to have a fever…”  
  
“E-Eh?! N-N-No I’m good!! Everything is fine!! I- I was just thinking about some stuffs! That’s all!!”  
  
Tsugumi was really bad to lie, but Sayo didn’t say anything about this even though she noticed the girl was lying. She showed the dough to Tsugumi, proud of how it turned.  
  
“How do you think it is?”  
  
“Hmm…” Tsugumi inspected it carefully, but it seemed too perfect. Sayo even respected the thickness of the dough perfectly she couldn’t help but giggle.  
  
“It’s perfect! Hehe you even respected the thickness perfectly~ you’re even better than me now!”  
  
“You shouldn’t flatter me that much Tsugumi-san. You’re still far better than me and I have a long way before reaching your level. “  
  
“That’s not true! You’ve become really good! I didn’t even need to say anything!”  
  
“Thank you Tsugumi-san… Now we should cut the dough to make the cookies.”  
  
“Yes! Let me get the pastry cutter!”  
  
Tsugumi opened a cupboard above her head to take the pastry cutters. But when she opens the cupboard, some plates lost balance in the cupboards, and she can already see them falling on her face. She instantly hunched her shoulders and closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to come… But instead of that, she felt warmth. When she opened her eyes again, Sayo was hugging her close with one arm, and the other one was pushing back the plate in the cupboard.  
  
“It was dangerous… Are you alright Tsugumi-san?”  
  
“I- eh- I… hmm” Tsugumi could only nod as she felt her cheeks blushing more and more, with her heartbeat quickening madly. She felt… warm and secure in Sayo’s arms. So much that she didn’t move at all, until Sayo said something.  
  
“Tsugumi-san…? Are you really sure you’re alright?”  
  
“E-Eh?! Y-Yes I am!!” Tsugumi jumped backward while answering, and she tried to look away for a moment to regain her composure.  
  
Sayo took the pastry cutters, and she started to cut cookies when Tsugu came back to her senses.  
  
 _‘What am I doing… uuu I really need to come back to my senses!!’_  
  
Tsugumi tried to help Sayo, but she couldn’t really concentrate on the cookies. She let Sayo put them in the oven, and while waiting, she couldn’t even chat properly with Sayo. So she decided to go to the bathroom to wash her face.  
  
Feeling the cold water woke her up a little more, and when she came back, she could finally chat with Sayo again. Though she kept blushing from time to time when she stared at Sayo too long.  
  
“Ah! It’s already this late!!” Tsugumi said when they were finally done with the icing.  
  
“Oh, you’re right…” Sayo said, a little sad she had to leave Tsugumi, but she really needed to go back home for dinner, and to practice her guitar too.  
  
“I’m sorry I kept you here too long!! Hehe I had a lot of fun though!!” Tsugumi grinned while putting the cookies in a neat and cute box. “Here, it’s your part!”  
  
“Are you sure?” Sayo asked while taking the box.  
  
“Yes!! You made them after all, I didn’t do much today sorry… Next time let’s make something other than cookies!”  
  
“With pleasure Tsugumi-san” Sayo said with a kind and genuine smile. They then walked back in the main room, where Sayo took her stuff.  
  
“Do you want me to go with you to the train station?” Tsugumi offered, not wanting to part with Sayo yet.  
  
“It’s kind of you, but it’s getting late, I can go by myself… And sorry if I can’t tidy the kitchen with you. I promise I will make up for that.”  
  
“N-No you don’t have to! I’m sorry I acted weird today… But it was really fun to spend time with you, thank you.”  
  
“Yes… Thank you too, Tsugumi-san… And also… thank you for standing up for me before.” Sayo smiled again, and Tsugumi could feel like she was melting looking at this smile. She really was happy to be friend with Sayo, and to be close to her like this.  
  
She really was…  
  
“You’re welcome! I just couldn’t let Ran-chan badmouth you after everything you’ve done for me!”  
  
“It was nothing… But thank you.” Sayo said a last time before she opened the door of the shop. With a last smile to Tsugumi, she said goodbye.  
  
“See you soon, Tsugumi-san.”  
  
“Yes, have a nice day!” Tsugumi answered, enthusiastly but trying not to feel too lonely when the door was closed. She went back into the kitchen and tasted one of the cookie before putting the remaining ones in another box.  
  
“They are good… She really improved… I wonder when I will meet her again.”


End file.
